| Pitcairn Islands |
The Pitcairn Islands, officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British overseas territory, the last remaining in the Pacific. The four islands, named Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno, are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total area of about 18 square miles (47 km2). Only Pitcairn, the second largest and measuring about 2 miles (3.2 km) across, is inhabited.
The islands are best known as home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians (or Polynesians) who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. This history is still apparent in the surnames of many of the islanders. With only about 50 inhabitants (from four families as of 2010: Christian, Warren, Young and Brown), Pitcairn is the least populous and most remote jurisdiction in the world. |
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| Flag Description |
Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor.
The Coat of Arms of the Pitcairn Islands were first adopted on November 4, 1969.
The Arms feature a shield featuring the anchor and bible from HMS Bounty. This represents the ancestral history of the islanders, most of whom are descended from the sailors who mutinied on the Bounty in 1789.
The design of the shield is green and blue representing the island rising from the ocean.
The helmet and crest are a flowering slip of miro and a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow,
with the plant on the shield presents the 'Islands' cultivation and territory. |
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| Geography |
The Pitcairn Islands form the southeasternmost extension of the geological archipelago of the Tuamotus of French Polynesia, and consist of four islands: Pitcairn Island, Oeno Island (atoll with five islets, one of which is Sandy Island), Henderson Island and Ducie Island (atoll with four islets).
The only permanently inhabited island, Pitcairn, is accessible only by boat through Bounty Bay.
Henderson Island, covering about 86% of the territory's total land area and supporting a rich variety of animals in its nearly inaccessible interior, is also capable of supporting a small human population, but access is difficult, owing to its outer shores being steep limestone cliffs made of sharp coral.
The Pitcairn Islands were formed by a centre of upwelling magma called the Pitcairn hotspot. The other islands are at a distance of more than 100 km (60 miles) and are not inhabited.
Pitcairn Island was discovered on July 3, 1767 by the crew of the British sloop HMS Swallow, commanded by Captain Philip Carteret (though according to some it had perhaps been visited by Quiros in 1606).
It was named after Midshipman Robert Pitcairn, a fifteen-year-old crewmember who was the first to sight the island. Pitcairn was the son of British Marine Officer John Pitcairn. |
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In 1790, the mutineers of HMAV Bounty and their Tahitian companions, some of whom may have been kidnapped from Tahiti, settled on Pitcairn Island and set fire to the Bounty. The wreck is still visible underwater in Bounty Bay.
The ship itself was discovered in 1957 by National Geographic explorer Luis Marden. Although the settlers were able to survive by farming and fishing, the initial period of settlement was marked by serious tensions among the settlers. |
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| Flora & Fauna |
| About nine plant species are thought to occur only on Pitcairn. These include tapau, formerly an important timber resource, and the giant nehe fern (Angiopteris chauliodonta). Some, such as red berry (Coprosma rapensis var. Benefica), are perilously close to extinction. The Pitcairn Islands are one of two places (the other being Mangareva) in the world in which the plant species "Glochidion pitcairnense" occurs (Pitcairn Islands Environment Management Plan, 2008). |
| In terms of fauna, an interesting and rare introduction is the Galapagos giant tortoise (Testudo elephantopus). The sole surviving tortoise, Ms T (also known as Turpen), was one of five, which arrived on Pitcairn between 1937 and 1951, brought to the island by Irving Johnson, skipper of the 96 foot Brigantine Yankee. Turpen usually resides at Tedside by Western Harbour. A protection order makes it an offence should anyone kill, injure, capture, maim or cause harm or distress to the tortoise (Endangered Species Protection Ordinance, 2004 revised edition). |
| The birds of Pitcairn fall into several groups. These include seabirds, wading birds and a small number of resident land bird species. Of 20 breeding species, Henderson Island has 16, including the unique flightless Henderson rail (Nesophylax alter); Oeno 12; Ducie 13 and Pitcairn six. Of the birds breeding on Pitcairn the best known are the Fairy Tern (Gygis alba), the Common Noddy (Anous stolidus) and the Red-tailed Tropic Bird (Phaethon rubricauda). The Pitcairn Island Warbler (Acrocephalus vaughani), known by Pitcairners as a "Sparrow", is a native species, dark-brown above and yellowish to buff below. It use to be common throughout the island but was placed on the endangered status list in 2008. |
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| Adamstown |
Adamstown is the only settlement of the Pitcairn Islands, and by default, the capital of the Pitcairn Islands. The town is located on the central-north side of the island of Pitcairn, in front of the Pacific Ocean and close to the Bounty Bay.
Adamstown has a population of 48, which constitutes the entire population of the Pitcairn Islands. It is on the only inhabited island in the Pitcairn Group and the only incorporated town in the territory.
The hamlet currently holds the record for being the smallest capital in the world, though it still has access to television, satellite internet, and telephone.
The main point of contact is still the ham radio. Adamstown is where most residents eat and sleep, while they mainly pick fruit and hunt for food in other areas of the island.
The island’s main meeting area is in The Square in the heart of Adamstown. The Square is a very small area fenced by the Seventh-Day Adventist church, post office/money exchange and the public hall/court house.
In the Square is displayed the Bounty’s anchor, recovered in 1957 and the ship’s swivel canon, recovered in 1999. |
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Just above the Square is the excellent museum, on display are many interesting island artifacts including stone tools left by the long forgotten first inhabitants who have also left their mark with Polynesian petroglyphs at a place named Down Rope.
The Bounty relics and historical artifacts including the famous Bounty bible that John Adams used to teach the Christian faith, he also used it to teach reading and writing. |
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| Demographics |
The majority of the resident Pitcairn Islanders are the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and Tahitians (or Polynesians). Pitkern is a creole language derived from 18th century English, with elements of the Tahitian language. It is spoken as a first language by the population and is taught alongside standard English at the island's only school. It is closely related to the creole language Norfuk, spoken on Norfolk Island, because Norfolk was repopulated in the mid-19th century by Pitcairners. In September 2003, a baby was born on the island for the first time in 17 years (Pitcairn Miscellany, 2003). Another child, Adrianna Tracey Christian, was born on Pitcairn on 3 March 2007 (Miscellany, 2007). In February 2005, Shirley and Simon Young became the first married outsider couple in recorded history to obtain citizenship on Pitcairn.
All native Pitcairn residents are descended from the mutineers on the Bounty, a fact reflected in the surnames of many of the families - Christian being an obvious descendant from Fletcher Christian. Islanders are of mixed Caucasian and Polynesian stock, as the mutineers took wives and lovers from the Tahitian natives they had previously encountered. There is a high degree of inter-relation among the population.
Many islanders are also members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and tend to a somewhat puritanical attitude. Officially, public displays of affection and public consumption of alcohol are forbidden. In practice, consumption of alcohol is sanctioned by the administration of the island, especially when cruise ships anchor offshore. |
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| Due to a lack of educational facilities on the island, children of school age are sent to boarding schools either in New Zealand or Australia. As a result of this, many elect not to return to the island, with a memorable description of the island from an ex-resident being "A rural slum". This drain on the population has resulted in the labour force of the island being estimated at 15 able-bodied men in 2004. |
| Pitcairn residents derive their income from barter with passing ships and a form of welfare payment for manual labour on the island. An important lifeline to the rest of the world is the long-boat, sailed from Bounty Bay to meet any liners or cargo ships nearby. These boats are operated by the Christian family, the family of the ex-mayor of the island. |
| Islanders have considerable links to the Norfolk Island community, with many having families there. This is due to the historical attempts to re-settle the islanders on Norfolk, attempts which were successful in the most part. There is also a small community of Pitcairn expatriates in both New Zealand and Australia. Remittances from these communities constitute another aspect of Pitcairn's income. |
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| Economy |
| The fertile soil of the Pitcairn valleys, like Isaac's Valley on the gentle slopes south-east of Adamstown, produces a wide variety of fruits: including bananas, papaya (paw paws), pineapples, mangoes, watermelons, rockmelons, passionfruit, breadfruit, coconuts, avocadoes, and citrus (including oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons and limes); and vegetables include: sweet potatoes (kumura), carrots, sweet corn, tomatoes, taro, yams, peas, and beans. Arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides) and sugarcane are grown and harvested to produce arrowroot flour and molasses. Pitcairn Island is remarkably productive and its benign climate allows a wide range of tropical and temperate crops to be grown. |
Fish are plentiful in the seas around Pitcairn. Spiny lobster and a large variety of fish are caught for meals and for trading aboard passing ships. Almost everyday someone will go fishing, whether it is from the rocks, from a longboat or diving with a spear gun. There are numerous types of fish around the island. Fish such as Nanwee, White Fish, Moi and Opapa are caught in shallow water, while Snapper, Big Eye and Cod are caught in deep water and Yellow Tail and Wahoo are caught by trolling. A range of minerals have been discovered within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 370 km offshore and comprises 880,000 km2, including manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver and zinc.
The Pitcairners are involved in creating crafts and curios (made out of wood from Henderson). T
ypical wood carvings include sharks, fish, whales, dolphins, turtles, vases, birds, walking sticks, book boxes and the famous models of the Bounty. Miro (Thespesia populnea), a dark, durable and beautifully grained wood, is preferred for carving. Islanders also produce exquisite tapa cloth and painted hattie leaves.
The major sources of revenue, until recently, have been the sale of coins and postage stamps to collectors, .pn domain names, and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships, most of which are plying the United Kingdom to New Zealand route via the Panama Canal. |
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| Trade is restricted by the jagged geography of the island, which lacks a harbour or airstrip, forcing all trade to be made by longboat to visiting ships. Occasionally, passengers from expedition-type cruise ships will come ashore for a day, weather permitting. |
| In 1998, the UK Government aid agency, the Department for International Development, funded an apiculture programme for Pitcairn which included training for Pitcairn's beekeepers and a detailed analysis of Pitcairn's bees and honey with particular regard to the presence or not of disease. Pitcairn, it was discovered, has one of the best examples of disease-free bee populations anywhere in the world and the honey produced was and remains exceptionally high in quality. Pitcairn bees were also found to be a particularly placid variety and, within a short time, the beekeepers were able to work with them wearing minimal protection. As a result, Pitcairn today exports its renowned honey to New Zealand and to the United Kingdom, where it is stocked in London by Fortnum and Mason and Partridges in Sloane Square. The honey has become a favourite of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. The Pitcairn Islanders, under the "Delectable Bounty" brand, also export dried fruits including bananas, papayas, pineapples and mangoes to New Zealand. Electricity on the island is provided by gas/diesel generators |
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| Culture & Society |
Pitcairn culture, like its language, is a mix of English and Tahitian (or Polynesian) influences.
A successful Seventh-day Adventist mission in the 1890s was important in shaping Pitcairn society. In recent years, the church has declined, with only about eight islanders worshipping regularly, but most of them still attend church on special occasions. The Sabbath is observed as a day of rest and as a mark of respect for observant Adventists.
The once-strict moral codes, which prohibited dancing, public displays of affection, smoking, and consumption of alcohol, have been relaxed in recent years. Islanders and visitors no longer require a six-month licence to purchase, import, and consume alcohol (Pitcairn Island Government Ordinance).
There is now one licensed cafe and bar on the island, and the Government Store sells alcohol and cigarettes. The unique cuisine and rich cultural heritage of the Pitcairn Islanders, in particular the Pitcairn women, is detailed in a cookbook: "A Taste of Pitcairn: The First Pitcairn Island Cookbook", by resident Meralda Warren (updated ed. 2005).
Education is free and compulsory between the ages of five and 16. All of the island’s seven children were enrolled in school in 2000. The island's children have produced a book in Pitkern and English called "Mi Bas Side orn Pitcairn" (My Favourite Place on Pitcairn). |
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Church & Square - Adamstown |
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| Media & Communications |
Telephones: Pitcairn uses New Zealand's international dialing code, +64. Each and every building on the Island has a telephone for local and international calls (installed Sept. 2006, replacing a single wired party line)
Radio: There is no broadcast station. Marine band walkie-talkie radios are used to maintain contact among people in different areas of the island. Foreign stations can be picked up on Shortwave Radio.
Amateur Radio: QRZ.COM lists amateur radio operators as Dave Brown (VP6DB), Terry Young (VP6TY, VR6TY and VR8TY), Meralda Warren (VP6MW), Betty Christian (VP6YL), Tom Christian (VR6TC), Brian Young (VP6BX) and the Pitcairn Island AR Club Station (VP6RAC).
Islanders keep schedules: 2200-2300 UTC most days of the week, Dave Brown VP6DB is on the air at 14.226.5 MHz and 14.247 MHz. 2330-0100 UTC on Tuesdays, Tom Christian VP6TC is on the air at 21.348 MHz, or at 14.181 MHz. 1700 UTC on Wednesdays, Betty Christian VP6YL is available at 21.325 MHz, 1700 UTC on Fridays, you might be able to speak with Tom Christian VP6TC at 21.248 MHz.
Internet:
There is one Government-sponsored satellite internet connection, networked to all houses on the island providing 256kbps broadband. Pitcairn's country code (top level domain) is .pn. |
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Pitcairn Radio at Taro Ground |
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Television: There are 9 live English TV channels from satellite, CNN, Australia Network, BBC Kids, ESPN International, TVNZ One, TV2, TVNZ6, Boomerang tv network and TCM Movies; most homes have DVD-players and now some have Blu-Ray players. Free-To-Air satellite dishes can be used to watch foreign TV.
Local Television: Paradise Television Network-private, |
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| Transport |
The settlers of the Pitcairns all arrived by some form of boat or ship; the most famous was the Bounty, on which the mutiny occurred and which was burned in Bounty Bay.
Pitcairn Island does not have an airport or seaport; the islanders rely on longboats to ferry people and goods between ship and shore through Bounty Bay. The island does have one small harbour and launch ramp that is used to dock and load long-boats, however it is so small and the water so shallow that only small-craft can fit.
To get to Pitcairn, you can travel on board Pitcairn's new dedicated Passenger / Cargo supply ship chartered by the Pitcairn Island Government, the MV Claymore II, from Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. Mangareva itself is reachable by air from the French Polynesian capital Papeete.
There is one 6.4-kilometre (4 mile) paved road leading up from Bounty Bay through Adamstown. On land, walking has historically been the way of getting around, but now all islanders drive all-terrain vehicles (quadbikes). Each adult on Pitcairn owns a HONDA 4x4 ATV. |
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| History of Pitcairn |
The original settlers of the Pitcairn Islands were Polynesians who appear to have lived on Pitcairn and Henderson for several centuries. Although archaeologists believe that Polynesians were living on Pitcairn as late as the 15th century, the islands were uninhabited when they were discovered by Europeans.
Ducie and Henderson Islands were discovered by Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, sailing for the Spanish Crown, who arrived on 26 January 1606. He named them La Encarnación ("The Incarnation") and San Juan Bautista ("Saint John the Baptist"), respectively. However, some sources express doubt about exactly which of the islands were visited and named by Queirós, suggesting that Queirós’ La Encarnación may actually have been Henderson Island, and San Juan Bautista may have been Pitcairn Island.
Pitcairn Island was sighted on 3 July 1767 by the crew of the British sloop HMS Swallow, commanded by Captain Philip Carteret. It was named after Midshipman Robert Pitcairn, a fifteen-year-old crew member who was the first to sight the island. Robert Pitcairn was the son of British Marine Officer John Pitcairn.
Carteret, who sailed without the newly invented accurate marine chronometer, charted the island at 25° 2’ south and 133° 21’ west of Greenwich, but although the latitude was reasonably accurate the longitude was incorrect by about 3°. |
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Bounty’s arrival at Matavaii Bay,Tahiti |
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This made Pitcairn difficult to find, as highlighted by the failure of Captain James Cook to locate the island in July 1773.
In 1790, nine of the mutineers from the Bounty and Tahitian companions (six men, 11 women and a baby), some of whom may have been kidnapped from Tahiti, settled on Pitcairn Island and set fire to the Bounty.
The wreck is still visible underwater in Bounty Bay. The ship itself was discovered in 1957 by National Geographic explorer Luis Marden. Although the settlers were able to survive by farming and fishing, the initial period of settlement was marked by serious tensions among the settlers. Alcoholism, murder, disease and other ills took the lives of most mutineers and Tahitian men. John Adams and Ned Young turned to the scriptures using the ship's Bible as their guide for a new and peaceful society. Young eventually died of an asthmatic infection. The Pitcairners also converted to Christianity; later they would convert from their existing form of Christianity to Seventh-day Adventism after a successful Adventist mission in the 1890s. After the rediscovery of Pitcairn, John Adams was granted amnesty for his mutiny. |
| The Pitcairn islanders reported that it was not until 27 December 1795 that the first ship since the Bounty was seen from the island, but as she did not approach the land, they could not make out to what nation she belonged. A second appeared some time in 1801, but did not attempt to communicate with them. A third came sufficiently near to see their habitations, but did not venture to send a boat on shore. The American trading ship Topaz under the command of Mayhew Folger was the first to visit the island and communicate with them when they spent 10 hours at Pitcairn in February 1808. A report of Folger's find was forwarded to the Admiralty mentioning the mutineers and a more precise location of the island, 25° 2’ S latitude, 130° W longitude, however, this rediscovery was not known to Sir Thomas Staines, who commanded a Royal Navy flotilla of two ships (HMS Briton and HMS Tagus) which found the island at 25° .4’ S (by meridian observation) on 17 September 1814. Staines sent a party ashore and wrote a detailed report for the Admiralty. |
Ducie Island was rediscovered in 1791 by the British Captain Edwards aboard HMS Pandora, while searching for the Bounty mutineers. He named it after Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie, a captain in the Royal Navy. Henderson Island was rediscovered on 17 January 1819 by a British Captain James Henderson of the British East India Company ship Hercules. On 2 March 1819, Captain Henry King, sailing aboard the Elizabeth, landed on the island to find the king's colours already flying. His crew scratched the name of their ship into a tree, and for some years the island's name was Elizabeth or Henderson. Oeno Island was discovered on 26 January 1824 by U.S. Captain George Worth aboard the whaler Oeno.
Pitcairn Island became a British colony in 1838 and was among the first territories to extend voting rights to women. By the mid-1850s the Pitcairn community was outgrowing the island and its leaders appealed to the British government for assistance.
They were offered Norfolk Island and on 3 May 1856, the entire community of 193 people set sail for Norfolk on board the Morayshire, arriving on 8 June after a miserable five-week trip. But after eighteen months on Norfolk, seventeen of the Pitcairners returned to their home island; five years later another twenty-seven did the same.
In 1902 Henderson, Oeno and Ducie islands were annexed by Britain, Henderson on 1 July, Oeno on 10 July and Ducie on 19 December. In 1938 the three islands along with Pitcairn were formally incorporated into a single administrative unit called the "Pitcairn Group of Islands". |
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House of Thursday October Christian |
(son of Fletcher Christian) |
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| Since a population peak of 233 in 1937, the island has been suffering from emigration, primarily to New Zealand, leaving some fifty people living on Pitcairn (December 2009: 45 islanders on Electoral Roll) |
In 2004 charges were laid against seven men living on Pitcairn and six living abroad with sex-related offences dating back a number of years. On 25 October 2004, six men were convicted, including Steve Christian, the island's mayor at the time. After the six men lost their final appeal, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob's Valley. The men began serving their sentences in late 2006, as of 2010 all men have served their sentences or been granted home detention status. In 2010 the island received a new and updated constitution.
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| Politics of the Pitcairn Islands |
| Politics of the Pitcairn Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Mayor is the head of government. The territories constitution is the Local Government Ordinance of 1964. In terms of population, the Pitcairn Islands is the smallest democracy in the world. |
| Executive Branch |
| The Queen is represented by the Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, who is the British High Commissioner to New Zealand, currently Victoria Treadell. The Governor's Representative is the liaison person between the governor and the Island Council. The non-resident Commissioner, appointed by the Governor, is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the island as well as for its economic regeneration. But because the high commissioner does not live on the island, its daily affairs are taken care of by the mayor of Pitcairn from 1999 onwards. Island Magistrate is a governor appointed job. Chairman of the Internal Committee is an elected official. Until 30 October 2004, the mayor was Steve Christian; after his rape conviction on October 24, 2004, Christian was dismissed (after refusing to resign). Brenda Christian was selected by the Island Council to be mayor for November and December 2004, until an election was held. Jay Warren was elected on December 15, 2004. The island Mayor is elected by popular vote for a three-year term. In December 2007, Mike Warren succeeded Jay Warren as Mayor. |
| Legislative Branch |
| The Pitcairn Islands have a unicameral Island Council (10 seats - The Mayor and the Chairman of the Island Council both hold membership ex officio; 4 elected by popular vote, 1 co-opted by the Chairman and the 4 other elected members; 2 appointed by the Governor including the Island Secretary (ex officio); the tenth seat is reserved for a Commissioner (non-resident) who liaises between the Council and the Governor. Except for the Mayor, who has a three year term, and the Island Secretary, whose term is indefinite, members serve one-year terms. |
| Judicial Branch |
| Island Court: the island magistrate, appointed by the Governor for a three-year term usually presides over the court, however there has been several non-resident magistrates over the last five years. These magistrates were appointed as part of the judicial structure set up for the purposes of the Pitcairn sexual assault trials. |
| Supreme Court: while Pitcairn law has made provision for a Supreme Court for a number of years, the court itself formerly existed only on paper - no judges were appointed to it and it never sat. However, the Court was properly activated as part of the constitutional and judicial arrangements put in place for the trial referred to above. |
| Court of Appeal: unlike the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal is a recent creation having not formerly existed under Pitcairn law. It was established by an Order in Council in 2000 in preparation for the above trials. Allowances have also been made for both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal to sit in the islands or at such other country or place as may be permitted by any law. In practice, the Supreme Court has sat both on Pitcairn itself as well as in Auckland, New Zealand, while the Court of Appeal has only sat in New Zealand. |
Privy Council: the Privy Council is the final court of appeal for Pitcairn. While some appellate jurisdiction may previously have existed (through common law), appeal to the Privy Council were formally permitted by the issuance of an Order in Council in 2000.
The members of the Pitcairn judiciary are all New Zealanders - as are almost all of the lawyers admitted to the Pitcairn Bar - and are all either current or former members of the judiciary, or legal profession (in the case of the magistrates) in that country. |
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